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The scale of the problem About 5.8 million people die each year as a result of injuries. This accounts for 10% of the world’s deaths, 32% more than the number of fatalities that result from malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS combined.
7
Deaths per year (millions)
6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Injury
HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
Source: Global burden of disease, 2004
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How injuries claim lives Nearly one third of the 5.8 million deaths from injuries are the result of violence - suicide, homicide and war - and nearly one quarter are the result of road traffic crashes. Other main causes of death from injuries are falls, drowning, burns and poisoning.
*‘Other’ includes smothering, asphyxiation, choking, animal and venomous bites, hypothermia and hyperthermia, as well as natural disasters.
Source: Global burden of disease, 2004
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Injury deaths rise in rank Injuries are a growing problem: the three leading causes of death globally from injuries – road traffic crashes, homicide and suicide – are all predicted to rise in rank compared to other causes of death, placing them among the top 20 leading causes of death in the world by 2030. Road traffic crashes are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030, with suicide and homicide rising to become the 12th and 18th leading causes of death respectively.
Total 2004 1 2
Total 2030
Ischaemic heart disease Cerebrovascular disease
3
Lower respiratory infections
4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
5
Diarrhoeal diseases
6 7 8 9
1 2
Cerebrovascular disease
3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
4
Lower respiratory infections
5 6
HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers Road traffic crashes
10 Prematurity and low birth weight 11 Neonatal infections and other 12 Diabetes mellitus 13 Malaria
Ischaemic heart disease
7 8 9
Road traffic crashes Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers Diabetes mellitus Hypertensive heart disease Stomach cancer HIV/AIDS Nephritis and nephrosis Suicide
14 Hypertensive heart disease 15 Birth asphyxia and birth trauma 16 Suicide 17 Stomach cancer
Liver cancer Colon and rectum cancer Oesuphagus cancer Homicide
18 Cirrhosis of the liver 19 Nephritis and nephrosis
20 Colon and rectum cancers
Alzheimer and other dementias Cirrhosis of the liver Breast cancer Tuberculosis
22 Homicide
Source: World health statistics 2008 (www.who.int/whosis/whostat/2008/en/index.html)
0-4
5-14
15-29
30-44
45-59
60-69
70-79
80+
All ages
1
Perinatal causes 3 180 174
Lower respiratory infections 224 308
Road traffic injuries 335 805
HIV/AIDS 958 851
Ischaemic heart disease 1 101 400
Ischaemic heart disease 1 524 131
Ischaemic heart disease 2 174 957
Ischaemic heart disease 2 072 949
Ischaemic heart disease 7 198 257
2
Lower respiratory infections 1 755 385
Road traffic injuries 109 905
HIV/AIDS 333 953
Tuberculosis 367 837
Cerebrovascular disease 678 971
Cerebrovascular disease 1 099 231
Cerebrovascular disease 1 860 743
Cerebrovascular disease 1 864 012
Cerebrovascular disease 5 712 241
3
Diarrhoeal diseases 1 716 410
Malaria 103 738
Tuberculosis 249 023
Road traffic injuries 329 142
HIV/AIDS 395 052
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 631 369
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 1 060 089
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 960 598
Lower respiratory infections 4 109 354
4
Malaria 828 666
Drowning 77 117
Homicide 238 003
Ischaemic heart disease 255 842
Tuberculosis 359 282
Lower respiratory infections 397 922
Lower respiratory infections 548 203
Lower respiratory infections 674 079
Perinatal causes 3 180 421
5
Measles 396 072
Meningitis 63 755
Suicide 230 979
Suicide 219 557
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 332 183
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 382 816
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 421 150
Alzheimer and other dementias 318 868
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 3 024 912
6
Congenital anomalies 370 785
Diarrhoeal diseases 57 716
Lower respiratory infections 122 707
Homicide 179 916
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 279 897
Diabetes mellitus 274 630
Diabetes mellitus 342 482
Hypertensive heart disease 311 973
Diarrhoeal diseases 2 127 154
7
HIV/AIDS 258 861
HIV/AIDS 43 118
Drowning 89 434
Lower respiratory infections 154 950
Cirrhosis of the liver 261 132
Tuberculosis 215 416
Hypertensive heart disease 300 088
Diabetes mellitus 246 218
HIV/AIDS 2 039 727
8
Whooping cough 254 314
Tuberculosis 38 074
Fire-related burns 84 983
Cerebrovascular disease 147 224
Road traffic injuries 238 852
Hypertensive heart disease 193 316
Stomach cancer 231 723
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 185 916
Tuberculosis 1 463 792
9
Meningitis 156 304
Protein-energy malnutrition 36 232
War-related injuries 66 319
Cirrhosis of the liver 101 593
Lower respiratory infections 231 801
Stomach cancer 192 172
Colon and rectum cancers 190 792
Nephritis and nephrosis 172 709
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 1 323 218
10
Tetanus 144 325
Fire-related burns 26 703
Maternal haemorrhage 65 077
Poisoning 87 576
Diabetes mellitus 207 605
Cirrhosis of the liver 170 763
Nephritis and nephrosis 170 653
Colon and rectum cancers 162 987
Road traffic injuries 1 274 845
11
Protein-energy malnutrition 135 517
Measles 24 202
Ischaemic heart disease 59 102
Maternal haemorrhage 71 774
Suicide 183 582
Liver cancer 155 697
Liver cancer 157 901
Stomach cancer 148 299
Diabetes mellitus 1 140 881
12
Syphilis 63 875
Leukaemia 20 861
Poisoning 55 139
Fire-related burns 67 338
Stomach cancer 176 110
Oesophagus cancer 147 747
Oesophagus cancer 146 484
Inflammatory heart diseases 122 263
Malaria 1 021 028
13
Drowning 58 467
Congenital anomalies 19942
Abortion 46 335
Nephritis and nephrosis 66 145
Liver cancer 166 012
Colon and rectum cancers 137 515
Tuberculosis 142 380
Prostate cancer 109 217
Hypertensive heart disease 986 560
14
Road traffic injuries 56 778
Trypanosomiasis 18 583
Leukaemia 44 388
Drowning 62 683
Breast cancer 163 505
Nephritis and nephrosis 134 522
Alzheimer and other dementias 138 409
Falls 100 954
Suicide 844 460
15
Fire-related burns 46 656
Falls 17 862
Cerebrovascular disease 40 827
Breast cancer 57 370
Hypertensive heart disease 136 806
Breast cancer 113 698
Cirrhosis of the liver 131 267
Breast cancer 80 322
Stomach cancer 803 095
Source: Global burden of disease, 2004 update.
Injuries affect all age groups but have a particular impact on young people. For people between the ages of 5 and 44 years, injuries are one of the top three causes of death.
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Injuries are a leading killer of youth
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The injury pyramid The millions of deaths that result from injuries represent only a small fraction of those injured. Tens of millions of people suffer injuries that lead to hospitalization, emergency department or general practitioner treatment, or treatment that does not involve formal medical care. The relative numbers of fatal and non-fatal injuries are often graphically depicted in the form of a pyramid. In addition to the severity of an injury, there are a number of factors that vary by country and that determine the “shape” of the pyramid, such as access to health care services, or the quality of the data available.
Fatal injuries
Injuries resulting in hospitalizations
Injuries resulting in visits to emergency departments Injuries resulting in visits to primary care facilities
Injuries treated outside the health system, not treated, or not reported
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Injury and violence kill more men than women Almost twice as many men as women die as a result of injuries and violence each year. The three leading causes of death from injuries for men are road traffic injuries, suicide and homicide, while leading causes for women are road traffic injuries, suicide, and firerelated burns. For each type of injury (except those resulting from fires), death rates are higher for men than for women.
Death rates per 100 000 population
Source: Global burden of disease, 2004
